Abstract:
Background: Dietary diversity (DD) is a qualitative measure of food consumption that reflects
household access to a variety of foods and is also a proxy for nutrient adequacy of the diet of
individuals. Low dietary diversity continuous to be a public health challenge in developing
countries including Ethiopia. The previous studies in Ethiopia were conducted on dietary
diversity among under-five children and pregnant and lactating women which could not
represent adolescent girls and hindered the implementation of effective intervention strategies.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of dietary diversity and associated factors among adolescent
girls in Chelia district, West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia, 2024.
Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 413 adolescent
girls in Chelia district from January 20 to February 30, 2024. The study participants were
selected using a systematic sampling technique. The collected data were checked, coded, and
entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to the statistical package for Social Science
version 26.0 for cleaning and analysis. Bivariable was conducted and variables with p-values less
than 0.25 were candidates for multivariable logistic regression and multivariable analysis was
used to assess the association of the predictors with the outcome variable.
Results: A total of 413 adolescent girls have participated with a response rate of 99.3%. The
prevalence of inadequate dietary diversity was found to be 44.3% (95%CI: 42.21-46.78). Being
rural residence (AOR= 3.22; 95%CI: 1.27-5.69), eating less than three meal per day (AOR=2.12;
95%CI: 1.13-3.21), having poor knowledge (AOR= 1.99; 95%CI: 1.16-3.71), and having
unfavorable attitude toward nutrition (AOR= 2.1; 95%CI: 1.51-4.17), food insecured (AOR=
1.99; 95%CI: 1.23-2.08) and middle wealth index classification/rank (AOR= 0.48; 95%CI: 0.14-
0.81) were predictors of dietary diversity (P < 0 .05).
Conclusion: The current study showed that adolescent girls in the study area had high
prevalence of inadequate dietary diversity. Rural residence, eating less than three meal per day,
poor knowledge and unfavorable attitude toward nutrition, food insecurity status and middle
wealth index classification/rank were predictors of inadequate dietary diversity. Therefore, the
Woreda Health Office would provide a comprehensive public health intervention (create
awareness) to alleviate this problem.
